CHRISTMAS WISH 2026
Spreading Joy, One Family at a Time
A Christmas gift. A child’s smile. A community coming together to share hope.
For many families across Northeast Louisiana, Christmas isn’t always the most wonderful time of the year. While some families are making shopping lists and planning celebrations, others are wondering how they’ll make Christmas happen for their children.
But this Christmas, we’re coming together to remind our neighbors that they are not forgotten.
Through Christmas Wish 2026, Always Uplifting 88.7 The Cross is partnering with Downtown Monroe and community organizations to bring joy, encouragement, and practical help to families who need it most.
And we’re doing it in a way that celebrates the true spirit of Christmas—love, generosity, and hope.
CHRISTMAS WISH TOY TENT
A Little Christmas Magic. A Whole Lot of Hope.
Wednesday, December 2, 2026 | Downtown Monroe
This year, Christmas Wish is joining the celebration as the CPKC Holiday Train rolls into Monroe!
The Holiday Train brings more than Christmas lights and music. It also supports local families facing food insecurity through a financial contribution to the food bank. And this year, we’re helping make the celebration an even greater opportunity to serve our community.
Families will enjoy a festive Christmas experience featuring Santa Claus, a special place where children can mail their Christmas letters to the North Pole, and booths hosted by community partners offering information and resources to help families in need.
But the Christmas magic doesn’t stop there!
Welcome to the Christmas Wish Toy Tent!
Children participating in Christmas Wish will have a special opportunity to shop for their own Christmas gifts!
Here’s how it works:
- Explore the Community Partner Booths. Families will receive a Christmas Wish Passport and visit participating booths, discovering organizations and services available to help them throughout the year.
- Complete the Christmas Wish Passport. After visiting the required booths, children will be eligible to enter the Christmas Wish Toy Tent.
- Shop in Santa’s Toy Tent! Each child will be paired with a guide and given special Christmas Wish Monopoly money to shop for gifts inside the tent.
Imagine the excitement of a child getting to choose something special. The wonder of Christmas. The joy of shopping with their very own Christmas money.
And imagine the relief of a parent knowing their child will have something to celebrate this Christmas.
Because Christmas Wish is about so much more than toys.
It’s about giving children a joyful Christmas memory. It’s about helping parents feel supported and valued. And it’s about connecting families with people and organizations that care about their well-being long after the Christmas decorations come down.
One evening. One community. So many opportunities to make a difference.
Together, we’re spreading joy, one family at a time.
CHRISTMAS WISH: HOPE FOR A NEW BEGINNING
Because Everyone Deserves to Feel Remembered at Christmas.
Christmas is a season of hope, family, and new beginnings. But for men working to overcome addiction and rebuild their lives, the holidays can also be a painful reminder of broken relationships, missed moments, and the people they love.
Yet their stories aren’t over.
This Christmas, Always Uplifting 88.7 The Cross is adopting two men’s recovery shelters and reaching approximately 100 individuals, including men who are working hard to change their lives—not just for themselves, but for the families who love them.
We’ll be providing a special Christmas dinner and personal gifts, creating an evening filled with encouragement, fellowship, and the joy of being remembered.
But what we’re really hoping to give them can’t be wrapped in Christmas paper.
It’s the reminder that their past doesn’t have to define their future.
That they matter. That someone believes in them. That God hasn’t given up on them.
For a man who may have spent years struggling, a Christmas gift can mean more than we realize. It says, “We see you. We’re cheering you on. And we believe there are better days ahead.”
Through Christmas Wish, we want these men to experience the love of Jesus in a tangible way—and to know that an entire community is standing behind them as they take steps toward a new beginning.
Because sometimes the greatest gift we can give someone is the hope that their story is still being written.
When one life changes, a whole family changes. And when a community comes together, hope multiplies.
YOU CAN HELP MAKE A CHRISTMAS WISH COME TRUE!
One Gift. One Act of Kindness. One Life Touched by Love.
Behind every Christmas Wish is a real person with a real story.
A child who deserves to experience the excitement of Christmas morning.
A parent who needs to know their community cares.
A man rebuilding his life who needs to be reminded that hope is still possible.
And you can be part of their story.
This Christmas, we’re inviting individuals, families, churches, and businesses across Northeast Louisiana to help us share the love of Jesus through Christmas Wish 2026.
Your generosity will help provide toys for children in need, Christmas gifts and a special dinner for men in recovery, and meaningful moments of encouragement for families who need them most.
Whether you give a little or a lot, every gift helps us reach someone with a simple but powerful message:
You are seen. You are loved. You are not forgotten.
Let’s make this Christmas about more than what’s under the tree.
Let’s make it about the hope we can share, the lives we can touch, and the love of Jesus we can put into action.
Christmas Wish 2026
Spreading Joy, One Family at a Time.
Christmas Wish is a community outreach of Always Uplifting 88.7 The Cross, part of Christmas at the Cross.
